I know that adding more fermentables to the beer is the way to increase ABV but wouldnt that just mean the more extract you use (I use lme) the more ABV? What im getting at is wouldnt heavier beers like stouts always have more alcohol than say an IPA which uses alot less extract? However i see some IPAs w/ higher ABV than stouts. How do you add ABV to a lighter beer? This whole alcohol thing confuses me. i have a wheat with 6 lbs lme which will be a weak beer but how would i add alcohol without changing the flavor or body?
Alcohol-HOW!?
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Stouts use more roasted grains which contribute complex (unfermentable) sugars and lots of flavor. They are typically slight lower in alcohol than many other popular styles.
However, more extract results in more fermentables, which translates to more alcohol. I'm not sure which recipes you're comparing, so I can't give very specific reasons as to why one may have more alcohol than another.
Give the recipe details for the one you intend to make a bit stronger, and I'm sure we'll be able to tweak it to your liking.
However, more extract results in more fermentables, which translates to more alcohol. I'm not sure which recipes you're comparing, so I can't give very specific reasons as to why one may have more alcohol than another.
Give the recipe details for the one you intend to make a bit stronger, and I'm sure we'll be able to tweak it to your liking.
Imperial stouts will probably call for almost twice the amount of extract as your brown ale, and they should result in 8-13% alcohol.
so if i wanted to make a thick heavy low abv i would use less extract(paler the better?) and steep more grains? if i wanted a thick heavy high abv i would use alot of extract? if i wanted a light sort of ipa at low alcohol i would use less extract but more grains? but how do i do a lighter beer with high abv? i get the add more extract but wontt it make my lighter beer heavier?
Ok, here's a VERY simple way to think of alcohol content vs "feel."
"Mouthfeel" is usually a function of unfermentable (or unfermented) sugars. The more residual sugar there is, the "heavier" or "creamier" or "more full bodied" the beer will taste. These unfermentable sugars are usually present (in extract brewing) from specialty grains or additions such as lactose or maltodextrin.
The more fermentable sugar you have, the more alcohol content you will get. Malt extract and dextrose (corn sugar) are the most common fermentables available to you.
"Mouthfeel" is usually a function of unfermentable (or unfermented) sugars. The more residual sugar there is, the "heavier" or "creamier" or "more full bodied" the beer will taste. These unfermentable sugars are usually present (in extract brewing) from specialty grains or additions such as lactose or maltodextrin.
The more fermentable sugar you have, the more alcohol content you will get. Malt extract and dextrose (corn sugar) are the most common fermentables available to you.
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so the amount of extract i add will not make it a heavier beer just add more abv? the unfermentable steeped grains control body and make the beer heavy and full? so if i add 15lbs of lme and no grains will it be a thick heavy beer? (sorry for all the questions but this really confused me and im starting to understand i think) Yuri has saved my life at least ten times!
Don't be sorry...and tell your health insurance company about the benefits of having me as an advisor...or not...grrtt78 said:
In general, what I posted above is a good way to envision what's going on with your beer. However, if you add 15 lbs of LME to a 5 gallon batch, you will likely wind up with a rather full bodied (thick/creamy), high alcohol beer. The yeast will ferment their asses off until they start to succumb to alcohol poisoning (8-12%-ish depending on the strain...higher if it's a wine/champagne/high gravity yeast). At that point, any unfermented sugars will contribute to the body of your beer. IMHO, recipes with nothing but extract tend to be dry and very thin - at a minimum, go with a bit of crystal malt (or similar adjunct) to help the flavor and feel of your beer.
Anytime...I just hope I haven't posted any misinformation (the bane of all message boards such as this one). Thanks for the compliment, and feel free to post the recipe you're working to improve - the folks here are usually all too willing to comment/critique!grrtt78 said:
Yuri makes a good point and I think it was pretty clear but let me say it another way. Not all fermentables always ferment out. Some yeasts are better at creating alcohol than others and conditions like temperature also affect the sugar conversion. If you've heard of percentage of attenuation, this is the amount of conversion you get. Here's a prime example, I just used dry Windsor yeast which is a moderately attenuating yeast under ideal conditions. This leaves a higher final gravity (thicker using your words) than if I used a Safale 04 for example. Even if my OG was 1.080, it's still only going to attenuate to about 1.030 or 1.020 at best.
Anyway, there are so many factors that it's hard to speak about it generally.
Anyway, there are so many factors that it's hard to speak about it generally.
Yeast attenuation levels can also make a difference. Attenuation is the amount of sugars the yeast will convert to alcohol. A low attenuation yeast will leave more sugars, making the beer sweeter, heavier, and more full bodied. Higher attenuation yeast will ferment more fully, making for a drier finish. For the higher alcohol beers, you might add 3 pounds of honey. This will increase alcohol, but may give a slightly dry taste, unless you use a lower attenuation yeast. I recently made a spiced ale using 7 1/2 lbs extract and 3 lbs honey that finished at 10%. Its not rocket fuel, but is a dry beer. I plan to let the last few bottles age for a while (may have to have somebody hide them from me) and see how it turns out. Hope this helps and doesnt add any confusion
